YANKEE POT ROAST

INGREDIENTS:

4 or so medium red or Yukon gold potatoes, each cut into 8 pieces with skins on

1 cup tomato juice or V8 Low Sodium vegetable juice

1 ½cup good quality red wine

½ packet McCormack au jus mix

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

½ teaspoon nutmeg or 5 crushed ginger snap cookies

Salt and pepper to taste

¼cup dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons A1 sauce

1 teaspoon olive oil to rub on roast

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

» Spray ceramic insert of a large slow cooker with cooking spray.» Sear and brown the meat in a large frying pan. Set aside.» Place onion halves in bottom of the slow cooker, followed by the carrots and potatoes (You want to keep the roast from sitting too deep in the liquid.)» In a large bowl, mix all remaining dry ingredients. » Coat meat with oil and place in crock. Spoon A1 sauce and minced garlic on top of meat. Add dry ingredients then add liquids, being careful not to fill pot too high.» Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours. Do not lift the lid while the food is cooking. When done, remove from heat. Strain cooking liquid for gravy. Carve across grain into thin slices and serve.» Depending on number of guests, you may want to cook extra carrots and potatoes on the stove.

Recipe courtesy of Patrick Tobin of Middletown

AUTUMN STEW

INGREDIENTS:

1 small bag of saurkraut (drain some of the juices but not all of it)

1 McIntosh apple, cored and diced small (can leave peel on)

½ teaspoon crushed garlic

Pinch of kosher salt

1 small can of tomato sauce (no salt added)

1 kielbasa, cut in chunks (any size you prefer)

DIRECTIONS:

» Toss all ingredients in a slow cooker and mix it well. Cover and cook on low temperature all day. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Recipe courtesy of Jo

Wymer of Freehold Township

BBQ PULLED PORK JERSEY STYLE

BBQ PULLED PORK JERSEY STYLE

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. This dish is best cooked the day BEFORE serving.

INGREDIENTS:

7-9 pounds pork shoulder or pork butt (do not remove the fat cap)

2 bottles of beer, enough to cover the meat

1½ cups prepared barbecue sauce

1⁄3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon mustard

DIRECTIONS:

» Place the pork in a large slow cooker. Pour beer over meat, cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours. Do not lift the lid to peek at the meat.» Remove meat to a cutting board (with sides if possible as the juice will run). Let cool for about 15 minutes.» Meanwhile, combine barbecue sauce, brown sugar and mustard in a saucepan. Heat until brown sugar is dissolved.» With two forks, pull the pork into shreds. Remove any visible fat. This will take some time and arm muscle.» Put the pulled pork into a 9-by-13 pan lined with foil for easy clean up and cover with sauce mixture and some of the cooking liquid. Mix until the meat is moist. Cover and refrigerate overnight.» Put back in slow cooker on "keep warm" setting and heat for 2 hours before serving. Serve on rolls with summer slaw.

Recipe courtesy of Amy

Gildenberg Brown of

South Brunswick

SALLY TREONZE'S PULLED PORK

SALLY TREONZE'S PULLED PORK

Use a 5-quart slow cooker

INGREDIENTS:

4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut in quarters

1 medium onion

½cup ketchup

1⁄3 cup cider vinegar

¼cup brown sugar

¼ cup tomato paste

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons dried yellow mustard

1½ teaspoon salt

1¼ teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

» Mix all ingredients except pork in a bowl, stirring until combined.» Place pork inside 5-quart slow cooker and coat in sauce. Cover and cook 8 to 10 hours on low, or until pork is tender.» Transfer pork pieces to large bowl and shred with 2 forks.» Meanwhile, turn slow cooker to high and return pork as you go. Heat through and serve with brown rice or slaw on heated buns.

Recipe courtesy of Sally

Treonze of Hillsborough

SLOW COOKER RICE PUDDING WITH

CHERRY SAUCE

SLOW COOKER RICE PUDDING WITH CHERRY SAUCE

You will need a 4-quart slow cooker

INGREDIENTS:

Cooking spray

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 12-ounce can evaporated milk (regular is best, but low- or no-fat is still delicious)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 cups cold, cooked rice

½ cup raisins

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 15-oince cans sweet cherries in heavy syrup, undrained

4 teaspoons tapioca starch

DIRECTIONS:

» Spray the insides of a 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Add in beaten eggs, 1⁄3 cup sugar, vanilla, salt, evaporated milk, butter, rice and raisins in the slow cooker. Mix well.» Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Uncover, sprinkle cinnamon evenly over surface, then recover and cook on low for 2 more hours or on high for 1 more hour (pudding will not be completely set in center). Turn off slow cooker. Let stand, covered, for ½ hour to let pudding firm up.» While pudding is firming up, combine remaining sugar, cherries and their syrup, and tapioca starch in a 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Allow to come to a boil, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat. Cover and let stand until ready to serve. Syrup will be thin, but will thicken upon standing (or when chilling any leftovers).» To serve, divide rice pudding among 8 dessert bowls. Ladle cherry sauce over pudding. Serve warm.